Looks Like It Happened Again

[jwinter]

I am so frustrated right now I could scream. I just need to vent for a second. I know this was probably my own fault, but I still need to vent.

As some of you know I offer overflow on the weekends. This is partly due to pregnancy and the fatigue and partly due to the client demands that show up at the last minute. I always pay on time and sometimes early. I always extend help when it is asked or when a writer isn't sure where to take an article. The worst case scenerio I have had happen since offering overflow are two writers who just had some issues with the topics. That's fine. They let me know with enough time to either finish the articles myself or have another writer who needed the work handle them. They also only took out 3 to 5 articles and not large amounts. Well, a few weeks ago I hired a writer. I am not going to call out the person directly, but they were from this forum. They only completed half the articles (less than half actually) and those were done well after the deadline. I had not heard form the writer so I emailed for an update. I was told some things happened but they would get the work done. No problem. I'm pretty flexible as anyone who has done overflow for me can attest to. 24 hours past and nothing. Not a word. No articles. Nothing. I emailed them again. It was now past the deadline from my client. Not just me, but the client as well. I didn't hear back from the writer for another several hours (around 6- 12 hours). Again, another excuse why they weren't done. I finally said to hell with it and finished it out myself. I did pay the writer for the work they did do.

Well, last week was incredibly rough. I decided to give the writer a second chance because frankly the writing was good. I figured that maybe if I offered the second chance then they would rise to the occasion. The writer took 6 articles on a topic that they requested out of a list of several. Fine. Great. Wonderful. Saturday I sent an email out to anyone who was handling overflow for me. Just to get updates, checking in, seeing if anyone had questions, etc. I was told by the writer that they were working on the articles and I would have them by midday Sunday. Well it's midnight (a little after) my time and guess what? No articles, no email, not one ever loving word from them!

I emailed them to find out where the articles were and stated they had one hour to get them to me. After that, I'll just handle them myself and will not be asking for their services again in the future.

I know it's probably my own fault for offering the second chance after all the issues before, but I've offered second chances in the past and found great writers that I still use to this day or that come to me needing work and if I can give it I do. I figured maybe this might be a situation like that. That maybe this writer was just having a rough week the last time. Now, I'm sitting here upset and frustrated with more work to do tonight in order to meet a deadline. I'm so angry I could scream. I just had to get that out. I mean, it's 6 articles but damnit I was almost done with everything. I had a few more of mine to do and then getting work together for the client for turn in the morning. Not only do I do articles for the client I also manage other writers under him. It's not just my stuff and the overflow. I have to compile all the work from over 20 of his writers for the week. I was going to be done with everything with more than enough time to relax and now because of someone's lack of communication and selfish behavior I'm adding at least 2 more hours of work on tonight. I mean is it too much to ask for someone to just update and say they can't do it or that they need a bit more time?

Sorry I'm just....so over it all.

[awundrin]

Wow, that's tough. I don't blame you for feeling frustrated. You just never know what a person's work ethic is when you only know them online. I hope things sort out for you! Holler if you need more help-I am a writer (good one) who is always looking to pick up some extra work.

[anng]

Originally Posted by jwinter

I am so frustrated right now I could scream. I just need to vent for a second. I know this was probably my own fault, but I still need to vent.

As some of you know I offer overflow on the weekends. This is partly due to pregnancy and the fatigue and partly due to the client demands that show up at the last minute. I always pay on time and sometimes early. I always extend help when it is asked or when a writer isn't sure where to take an article. The worst case scenerio I have had happen since offering overflow are two writers who just had some issues with the topics. That's fine. They let me know with enough time to either finish the articles myself or have another writer who needed the work handle them. They also only took out 3 to 5 articles and not large amounts. Well, a few weeks ago I hired a writer. I am not going to call out the person directly, but they were from this forum. They only completed half the articles (less than half actually) and those were done well after the deadline. I had not heard form the writer so I emailed for an update. I was told some things happened but they would get the work done. No problem. I'm pretty flexible as anyone who has done overflow for me can attest to. 24 hours past and nothing. Not a word. No articles. Nothing. I emailed them again. It was now past the deadline from my client. Not just me, but the client as well. I didn't hear back from the writer for another several hours (around 6- 12 hours). Again, another excuse why they weren't done. I finally said to hell with it and finished it out myself. I did pay the writer for the work they did do.

Well, last week was incredibly rough. I decided to give the writer a second chance because frankly the writing was good. I figured that maybe if I offered the second chance then they would rise to the occasion. The writer took 6 articles on a topic that they requested out of a list of several. Fine. Great. Wonderful. Saturday I sent an email out to anyone who was handling overflow for me. Just to get updates, checking in, seeing if anyone had questions, etc. I was told by the writer that they were working on the articles and I would have them by midday Sunday. Well it's midnight (a little after) my time and guess what? No articles, no email, not one ever loving word from them!

I emailed them to find out where the articles were and stated they had one hour to get them to me. After that, I'll just handle them myself and will not be asking for their services again in the future.

I know it's probably my own fault for offering the second chance after all the issues before, but I've offered second chances in the past and found great writers that I still use to this day or that come to me needing work and if I can give it I do. I figured maybe this might be a situation like that. That maybe this writer was just having a rough week the last time. Now, I'm sitting here upset and frustrated with more work to do tonight in order to meet a deadline. I'm so angry I could scream. I just had to get that out. I mean, it's 6 articles but damnit I was almost done with everything. I had a few more of mine to do and then getting work together for the client for turn in the morning. Not only do I do articles for the client I also manage other writers under him. It's not just my stuff and the overflow. I have to compile all the work from over 20 of his writers for the week. I was going to be done with everything with more than enough time to relax and now because of someone's lack of communication and selfish behavior I'm adding at least 2 more hours of work on tonight. I mean is it too much to ask for someone to just update and say they can't do it or that they need a bit more time?

Sorry I'm just....so over it all.

I know the feeling. I think what's worse is that the person you're likely talking about has done the same to other people and for whatever reason, they keep taking on work and never fess up as to why they simply can't do the job. If there's a valid excuse, that's one thing, but there never is. Most of the time, they simply never email back again until the next time you have overflow and then there will be an excuse.

[jwinter]

Well, the writer did produce some of the articles and they were well written. The problem is I still had to pick up a few myself and I was biting my nails not knowing if I would actually seem them. It's an experience I never want to go through again. The worse thing was that it was the same reasoning as last time.

I hate that I can't use the writer again. The reason is because the writer is REALLY good. I mean it was top quality, no errors, well researched even though the topic was basic. It's a shame that the lack of communication, being told everything was fine well before the deadline and the massivly overdue deadlines at the end of the experience killed it for me.

In a way I hope the truth is that the work I offered was not paying enough and they had higher paying clients they put ahead of the work they took from me. But, on the flipside of that where is the communication? I would much rather an email saying "hey I took the work out but you know this other client is paying me double and I'm sorry I just gotta take it.". I'd much rather that than being left with not knowing and having to be the one to email asking where the hell the work is only to still worry I won't get it a few short hours before it is all due.

I hope people read this and understand that it is much better to tell someone with overflow or with a writing gig "I can't take it due to the price per word/article/etc but thanks anyway," than to take the work and leave us hanging. These aren't my deadlines! I have to eat too. These are clients deadlines that are already rearranged because a writer flaked on them first. It's overflow for a reason. If you can't take it then just don't. If you don't want to then don't. Just don't take it and leave us hanging two days later.

[MalloryObKnoxious]

I'm in a position where I may have to outsource some content work in the immediate future, and posts like these help confirm my suspicion that it's probably best to go through a broker like Textbroker for such a thing.

[jwinter]

I do have some really good writers that I found here. They may have an issue or two but nothing that can't be worked out. This writer though just really did me in. I will probably continue to use the good ones I've found here, but if they aren't available I'm not going on the hunt for new writers again. Because of this writer and two writers hired by my client (who also flaked) I've been up for over 22 hours working straight through on articles that were left unfinished. I am waiting on around 9 right now but those writers have touched base with me so its just a matter of them meeting the deadline which they always do. Once those are turned in and sent off I'm going to bed, taking tonight off and discussing options with my client for when writers he hires flake so we can work out something better than "hey find writers for these".

[Jonelle]

FYI -- mostly out of curiosity, I signed up as a client on TB and had about 5 articles written. Using TB is no guarantee that you'll get the quality you'll need when you need it, if you are on a tight deadline.

Writers can "flake" there also, and in my experience, they do. Once one writer has flaked, it appears the article's deadline resets (although it may be that it resets to one day), and the next writer has no idea another writer had first been involved. I had one article that bounced through several writers, over several days. It was on what I thought was a really simple topic, that would require next to no research.

Out of the five articles I had requested, three were in the acceptable range. One article was very well-written, though the writer didn't quite follow the directions. Another was laughably bad, although I accepted it just because I realize the rates are poor, and it was hard for me to ask for a rewrite.

If you know of good, reliable writers, I think that is the way to go.

[anng]

I have a handful of great writers I've found through here. I try to leave comments on the user's account if they've been really good. The thing I find is that every job is different too. One writer who flaked on me did an amazing job for my cousin. Other writers who did amazing jobs for me flaked on my cousin. It makes me think that a lot of it comes down to the writers' current workloads and the actual writing job itself.

That's why it would just be so much easier for everyone involved that if you get the job details and it really seems tedious or not enough pay for the work involved, just be honest. I'd much rather have someone say it's not their cup of tea than say they'll give it a shot and then disappear.

[jwinter]

I agree 100%. I also would prefer to know at the time. I mean, honestly it does not take that long to review the topic and do a quick Google search to see if you can handle the research. If it looks like too much is involved then let me know. Also, don't pick up articles that you know next to nothing about if the pay is not worth your research time. I have no way of knowing, unless the writer tells me upfront, if the pay is worth their time. I would much rather here, "I can do it, but I would need at least this much to handle the articles," or something like "there's more research than I thought can you offer some guidance? If not can you increase the pay?"

Whenever a writer asks me if I can help with some guidance I always give as much as I can. I'll give links, direction and even outlines for the article if they need. All they have to do is ask me. If they need a few extra hours, just ask me. I'm flexible. I toss that flexibility out the window though when I bend over backwards and the writer drops off the planet, does part of the work or leaves me completely hanging like I was tonight. Like I said before, I think for my sanity and stress level I will keep the writers I know are good and if they are not available I will find another way. I'll also discuss issues with the client to avoid certain problems in the future with the other writers he has just flaking out.

[Alexa_]

Wow! You're such a good person! You believe in people and it's great. The worst thing is that because of such behaviour of these, putting mildly, irresponsible writers, you can stop believing. It really upsets.